Renting a Home

Security Deposits

What should the tenant do if the landlord does not refund the deposit or refunds what the tenant believes is too little?

The tenant should first try to negotiate with the landlord, perhaps with the help of a mediator. If that fails, the tenant should take the landlord to small claims court. Many states have a special small claims court where persons can sue to collect money owed to them without the need to hire an attorney. These courts are sometimes called pro se courts (Latin for "for oneself") because the tenant, who will be the plaintiff in the lawsuit, is often required to appear without a lawyer. (In most places, the landlord may still hire an attorney.) This type of court is not as intimidating as regular court because the judge does not expect legal sophistication from the tenant.